Three Rivers

Three Rivers' population grew between the last two censuses. At the same time there were changes in religion, housing tenure and ethnicity.

The population passed 87,000

Between the last two censuses, the population of Three Rivers increased by 5.4%, from about 82,800 to 87,300.

The addition of almost 4,500 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Three Rivers was home to, on average, 7 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was higher than the average across Eastof England

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across Eastof England, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older Three Rivers

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Three Rivers increased by two years, from 39 to 41 years.

This affluent suburban area had a slightly higher average age than Eastof England and remained slightly older than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The rise in age was because of an increase of about 1,800 people between the ages of 40 and 49 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by about 1,000.

About 16% of people in Three Rivers are aged between 40 and 49 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, East and Three Rivers by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Disability in Three Rivers

The percentage of Three Rivers residents whose day-to-day activities are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability increased from 2.2% to 2.8% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

In 2011, just over 1 in 14 (7.3%) reported being limited a little in their day-to-day activities, compared with 7.6% in 2001. The percentage of Three Rivers residents whose day-to-day activities are not limited by a long-term health problem or disability remained close to 90%.

The proportion of people who are considerably limited by a long-term health problem or disability increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Eastof England (from 2.7% in 2001 to 3.4% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 3.1% to 3.8%.

The proportion of people who are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability was lower than across Eastof England

Percentage of usual residents that reported being considerably limited in their day-to-day activities across local authority areas in Eastof England and the average across England, March 2011

Religion in Three Rivers

The number of people in Three Rivers that described themselves as having no religion increased from just over 12,000 in 2001 to about 20,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 15% to 23% of the local population.

The percentage increased by less than the average across Eastof England (from 17% to 28%) and the average across England (from 15% to 25%).

The number of people in Three Rivers that described themselves as Christian decreased from about 59,000 in 2001 to just over 52,000 in 2011 (from 71% to 60%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation increased from about 5,900 to about 6,100. However, as a percentage of the total population, this represented a decrease from 7.2% to 7.0%.

About 4,000 people (2.6%) said they were Hindu, up from about 2,100 in 2001 (4.5%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population without a religion in Three Rivers increased by 8 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, East and Three Rivers by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of privately rented homes increased in Three Rivers, but at a slower rate than in Watford (the local authority area that shares the largest boundary with Three Rivers).

In Three Rivers, the proportion of private renting increased from 5.7% in 2001 to 11% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in nearby Watford increased from 9.7% to 20%.

Across Eastof England, the share of privately rented homes increased from 8.6% to 15%.

The rate of social housing in Three Rivers fell from 16% to 15%, while the rate of home ownership decreased from 77% to 73%.

Private renting in Three Rivers increased by 4.9 percentage points

Percentage of households in Three Rivers, Eastof England and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

Ethnicity in Three Rivers

The number of people in Three Rivers from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups increased from about 4,300 in 2001 to just under 8,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 5.1% to 9.2% of the local population.

The percentage increased by more than the average across Eastof England (from 2.8% to 5.0%) and the average across England (from 5.2% to 8.0%).

The number of people in Three Rivers from the White ethnic groups decreased from just under 77,000 in 2001 to just over 75,000 in 2011 (from 92% to 86%). The number of residents from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed) increased from just over 1,000 to about 2,000 (from 1.3% to 2.3%).

About 1,600 people (1.0%) said they were from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups, up from about 830 in 2001 (1.8%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the ethnic profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between ethnic groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups in Three Rivers increased by 4 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, East and Three Rivers by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

↑ Back to the top

Area report data

Related links